Wrap up: 7 hours of voting, celebrations, high turnout in Sinai

CAIRO – 26 March 2018: A relatively high turnout has been seen at polling stations across Egypt during the first seven hours of the heavily-secured presidential election Monday, while high-profile personalities have released pictures of them casting their votes.

The governorates of Cairo, Alexandria, Giza and Qalyubia have seen the highest voter turnout on the first day of the presidential vote, according to the National Election Authority (NEA). The NEA added that the governorates of the Red Sea, the New Valley, Mersa Matruh and South Sinai experienced the lowest voter turnout.

Bir al-Abed and Arish cities of North Sinai, a governorate that has been struck with terror since 2013, have proven resilient to violence. They have recorded the highest turnout among Egyptian cities, comparing the number of participants to the number of registered voters, according to Ali Haridy, head of the Cabinet operation room following up the election.

More than 13,500 polling stations opened for about 60 million eligible voters to cast their ballots for three consecutive days to elect Egypt's next president.


A long queue of voters in Sunniris village in Fayoum- press photo

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, First Lady Entissar al-Sisi and Prime Minister Sherif Ismail cast their votes at Mostafa Yousri Abou Emeira School in Heliopolis, Cairo. Contender Moussa Mostafa Moussa cast his vote at Noubar Modern School in Abdeen, Cairo.


Entissar Amer, the wife of President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi cast her vote in presidential election on March 26, 2018 - Press Photo

A march of several members of the Al-Ghad Party and Moussa’s supporters headed by Moussa roamed from the campaign headquarter on Sabry Abu Alam Street throughout Abdin Street in Downtown Cairo to the polling station - Egypt Today/ Ahmed Hendy

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi inspected the electoral process from the campaign operations room - Press Photo

Pope Tawadros II cast his ballot in a polling station set up in the closest school to the Cathedral of Abbasiya, and former President Adly Mansour elected a candidate in 6 October city near Giza.


Pope Tawadros II casts his vote in a close school to the Cathedral of Abbasiya- Press photo

Ministers as well as celebrities such as Sherif Mounir, Medhat Saleh, Samira Ahmed, Mohamed Henedi and Mohamed Tharwat also cast their votes on the first day of the election. Businessman Ahmed Abou Hashima, CEO of Egyptian Steel, cast his vote at a school in Heliopolis.


Egyptian businessman Ahmed Abou Hashima, CEO of Egyptian Steel, cast his ballot in the presidential election at al-Rashid National School in Heliopolis- press photo

A number of wheelchairs were made available by the Interior Ministry at polling stations to assist people with disabilities and the elderly to cast their votes.

Meanwhile, the National Election Authority has not received any complaints since the beginning of the vote, according to the authority’s head counselor, Lashin Ibrahim.

In terms of monitoring the election, 53 local NGOs, and nine international organizations are observing the poll.

Many voters stayed outside polling stations to celebrate, a custom that spread since 2013. Vehicles have been seen driving around town with Egyptian flags and playing songs encouraging people to practice their political right.




A run-off round, if needed, is scheduled to take place in April; otherwise, the results will be announced on April 2.

Expatriates already voted between March 16 and 18 in 124 countries, a right they only received after the 2011 uprising.